Justice News

Former DeKalb County And Georgia World Congress Center Official Pleads Guilty To Public Corruption Charges

ATLANTA - Patrick Jackson, a former janitorial services manager for the DeKalb County Government and Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, admitting that he used his position as a public official to obtain benefits for himself.

“Jackson abused his position as a public official by accepting a bribe in exchange for helping a company attain and maintain government contracts at both the Georgia World Congress Center and DeKalb County,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Horn. “This dishonest conduct threatens to undermine the integrity of the contracting system and the quality of the goods and services produced pursuant to those contracts. Today Jackson admitted his wrongdoing.”

J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “The FBI will continue to make public corruption cases at all levels a priority matter and asks that anyone with information regarding such matters to contact their nearest FBI field office.”

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, the plea agreement, and other information presented in court: From 2006 through 2012, Jackson simultaneously worked for two governmental entities: DeKalb County and GWCC. He served as the manager of janitorial services for both entities without the knowledge of either entity. In court, Jackson admitted to using his position as a public official to obtain favors from a company (identified in the Indictment as “Company A”) that provided janitorial services to both DeKalb County and GWCC. Jackson worked for “Company A” before he began working for DeKalb County and GWCC.

While employed by DeKalb County and GWCC, Jackson lived in a luxury apartment in Atlanta, Georgia, that “Company A” furnished and paid for. In exchange, Jackson used his position as a public official to benefit “Company A” in its business dealings with DeKalb County and GWCC. During that time, “Company A” obtained governmental contracts well in excess of one million dollars with the entities. Jackson did not disclose to either employer that “Company A” paid for his apartment. By accepting these bribes, Jackson deprived his employers of their right to his honest services.

Patrick Jackson, 56, of Loganville, Georgia, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William Duffey. Jackson was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2014.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie L. Mickelson and Kamal Ghali are prosecuting the case.